—— Our Family —— My children and I have grown up around dogs, we began dog boarding a few years ago after we lost our furry friend; we were not ready to commit to another one, but were looking to fill the dog shaped hole that was left in our hearts. So we decided to open up our home as a hotel for dogs! Since doing so, our family has expanded, my partner, his 2 children and his dog (Chester) now live with us. So we now have lots more love, attention and fuss to give! I am a registered nurse, but I am currently only working one day a week, either a Monday or Tuesday when my partner is off to take over the child/ dog care! During the other days of the week, my partner works from home, but loves to take time out so that we can walk the dogs together. Having him around means dogs in our care are never left home alone! I have an enhanced DBS certificate that is available to view, Should you wish to! ——Our Children—— Our 5 children are aged between 4 and 14. They are all dog lovers, and adore meeting new dogs. They are brilliant with dogs, and really recognise and adjust their behaviour to meet the needs of each different doggie personality. They can be very soft, gentle and cuddly, and they can be very playful and robust, and are more than happy to be jumped all over! But they also know to respect a dog that needs their own space or quiet time. My children are at our home 5 nights a week, and my partners children for 3 nights a week. So we do have a few childless days each week! —— Our experience—— We pride ourselves on giving dogs the best home from home experience possible. We have never had an unhappy dog! Our dog guests come back to us time and time again and we have had owners comment on how excited their dogs get, as soon as they realise where they are going! We have even taken some of our doggie guests on holiday with us, as we enjoy their company so much! Ultimately, we adapt our routine as best as we can to try and match your own. We usually take the dogs with us on the school run in the morning, and then to the local park afterwards. We then go for a much bigger walk slightly later in the day, and a short walk again in the evening before bed. My partner and I enjoy big dog walks and exploring new places. We also love to allow dogs to exercise off lead, but only if you give us permission to do so, once we have tested their recall in a secure gated field, and once we feel your dog has built up a trusting relationship with us (this usually happens very quickly!). If dogs are not suitable for off lead walking, this is absolutely fine too! They will still get a minimum of 2 walks per day, and we always make sure we spend some time throwing the ball around in the garden so that they have plenty of chance to run around. —— Special needs —— We have lots of experience in looking after dog guests with special needs and elderly dogs. We have accommodated many dogs with arthritis, and diabetes, cancer and a blind dog too. We are happy to administer any medication needed, to only provide short walks, or no walks, to lift into the car, or onto furniture if needed, or to rearrange furniture to assist with vision problems. —— Our Home—— We live in a quiet area, with a fenced garden. We have built a separate, fenced area that our children do not play in, so that there is always an area for dogs that want their own space. Dogs have access to the entire house, unless you would like us to just restrict this to the downstairs area if this is part of their usual routine at home. We do have a stair gate in place to restrict access if needed. We also tend to keep dogs downstairs if they are not fully house trained so that no accidents occur in the children’s bedrooms. We let dogs sleep where they are most comfortable, and if they sleep in a crate at home we are happy to continue this in our home too. We have plenty of dog beds and blankets, but would always recommend you bringing their own if you feel this would help them settle. We are happy for dogs to sleep on the sofa, or upstairs if they prefer! Many of our guests have been known to sneak into bed with the kids, and that’s ok too, as long as you are happy for them to do so! —— Our dog —— Since my partner moved in, I became the adoptive dog mum to a beautiful English pointer named Chester. You will see him feature in many of our profile photos. Chester is 8 years old, and is excellent with all dogs, of all sizes and all breeds. He is always very excited to meet a new dog for the first time, but after a short amount of time he calms right down and spends a lot of his time lazing on the sofa. He has never had a bad reaction to a dog, and is able to sense how he needs to act around different dogs quickly after meeting them. He is very playful with puppies and bouncy dogs, but can be a lazy companion for dogs that prefer that. He is also very gentle and respectful of older dogs. If a dog takes a disliking to him, he will try to stay out of their way, but is never reactive. He’s a good boy. He makes a great walking buddy, and him and his dog guest buddies always have the best of times on their walks. He is at his happiest when there are other dogs in the house to keep him company! When a dog is coming to visit that he has met previously, he will sit and wait and watch for them out of the window! —— Meet and Greets —— All dog owners are invited round for a meet and greet prior to booking in, so you can meet the family, see the house and we can discuss your dogs needs and routine! We are unable to except a dog prior to a meet and greet, for insurance purposes and to ensure the children are protected from any aggressive dog behaviour.